A Quick Guide to Visiting Manhattan, NY
If you are fortunate enough to have seven days in New York City, you will find this just enough time to see the most popular visitor attractions. Probably one of the first stops will be the Empire State Building and whilst it may be on every tourists list, that doesn’t mean it is not worth it, especially the view from the top.
There is of course some competition between the Empire State Building and the Another famous landmark, the Statue of Liberty which cannot be seen properly unless it is from the river; however delays can be long here so if you are on a tight schedule, stop off at Ellis Island or Battery Park and view the statue from there.
An easier option is to take the Staten Island ferry which doesn’t cost anything and can still give a first class view of the Statue of Liberty; dropping off at the terminal is the best place because it is where there are some good street artists. Without going to the site of where the World Trade Center Towers used to be no seven day visit to New York would feel right. Despite the moving nature of this place where over 3,000 people lost their lives, most people do not wish to take a picture of it. For those who love to shop there is of course the famous Tiffany’s and Broadway plus some fantastic old discount warehouses worth a look down on the Lower East Side.
Then there is Macy’s, where there is always a sale so don’t forget to get your 11 per cent tourist discount card or plan your trip around NYC’s tax free day; and you can look but don’t touch at Bloomingdales. At the time of writing the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum was closed for refurbishment but should be open by the fall of 2008; if you’re going to be there next year it will be a worthwhile place to see. Many special (and large) craft are located here including a number from World War II, namely the aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid. The New York City Police Museum is worth an hour if you’re down that way; it’s free to enter but a five dollar donation is recommended to help with its upkeep; because it’s about New York’s finest (and some not so fine), it has some really excellent NYPD souvenirs.
Then it is worth seeing some of the older history of New York back when there were huge numbers of migrants entering the city and the Lower East Tenement was where most of them ended up; this is now a museum and a time capsule.
There is more history in the City of New York Museum on Central Park which holds exhibitions of the past, present and future. Once again, admission to this wonderfully grand building is free but a donation of at least nine dollars is expected. For such a large vibrant city, seven days in New York should be viewed as minimum if most of the major attractions are to be seen comfortably and not as part of a ‘whistle stop’ tour.
If you want to have the ultimate New York experience, be sure to get a slice of pizza and try to visit Cozy’s Burger. This small, but world-renown diner serves the freshest, meatiest, most wonderful tasting burgers and egg shake malts in the world. Just sit back, and don’t be disturbed by hustle and bustle of the servers. On any given day, you’re likely to see a famous actor sitting across the diner from you enjoying their own milkshake.
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